Chain Stretcher Recap Thread

MtnRider said:
Hey Willy - congrats - I think the official is you finished 6th (posting above)
Looks like most of the regulars continue to finish top 5 - thought some of them would have to move up by now?

Save the .gpx file - I'd like to give the course a shot in the next couple of months when there's a free weekend

Also - a shout out to Steve for breaking the top 10 in Cat 2....

Rode Jungle in the rain this PM - let's hope for some good weather next week as those rocks are slippery when wet and can cause major carnage... someone better start the "no rain" dance
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Hey Dave they had James Bautista in the wrong spot and he actually finished second which pushed everyone down 1 spot. On the top guys moving up ?????????? It cant be a challenge if you podium all the races or 5 with a mechanical and dont move. SANDBAGGERS !!!!!!!!!!!!! who dont want to get beat at the level they should be at. No respect for them anymore and they know who they are. I`ll just train harder and beat them sooner or later. One guy even went back to Cat 3 from Cat 2 even though he finished 6 Th in his first Cat 2 race because he said he had to" leave early" :hmmm: but hung out way after the race was over and told me he wants to win, I do have the UTMOST RESPRCT for Steve 336 and Robson for making the move after their first win or close to it in Robson case and giving it their best. Congrats to Steve on his first top 10 !!!!!! See you at Jungle Dave, we will battle.Also ride is already saved.
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Willy
 
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As almost everyone that got stuck listening to me in the parking lot before the race can attest to I was working hard mentalizing on how to approach this race. Option A was to just do what has been working this year which was just to stay within the front 4 until things settle in. Or B make sure I hit the first hill hard as I was super paranoid of that becoming a disaster given how loose that first turn was coming off the speed of the pavement. A funny moment was at the start line when the starter asked who was the guy in the series that everyone was chasing and Jim, Dave, Todd and myself all pointed at each other. Which actually says a lot about how great the guys and competition in my class is this year. Anyway I chose B and took the holeshot and the first hill pretty fast and had an instant gap with only Jimmymanny with me. I felt pretty good and I saw this as a great opportunity to work together to increase our gap. We did so for about a mile or so and he pulled ahead at some point and then I passed him on one of those following climbs. However when we hit the climb with that big tree that was coming down over the trail with the big stone blocks at the top he cleaned that and I got hung up there. I only lost a few seconds as I ran it up and over and got crankin but he was in a zone and I did not have my A game today and was having trouble getting back to a full recovery. He is also hands down a better technical rider than I. I kept him in sight for a while but I never felt like I really recovered from that really hard start I put in. I found out later when I loaded my gps that my heart was bangin out 192 at that point. This may explain a lot as I had never seen more than 182 in any other race this season. Anyway I rode alone for a while but couldn't really find a great groove and got caught by Dave and Todd (the other 2 series contenders) They passed me as I was losing focus and was doing ok on some techy sections but was downright clumsy on others. I rode alone for what seemed forever and somewhere in the middle of the second lap I looked behind me in a switchback section and saw a guy with a number plate that told me he was in my group. I kept him at bay for a long time but then in a clumsy moment I went over the bars in a low speed endo. He went by me and got a gap on me. I knew I wasn't going to catch the front 3 but I really did not want to lose the series points of another place as this season is going to come right down to the wire as I am currently leading by a small margin. I fought back and reeled him back in and going into the final techy section he took a bad line and I was able to clean the entire section which ended me back in 4th. Tough race for sure, can't help think what could have been had I not gone out like a bat outa hell but ya never know. I am happy that I left the place this year with all functioning body parts which is certainly an improvement about last year. Congrats to all who came out and best wishes for a quick recovery for those who spilled blood.
 
Cat 2 40-45

Tried something a lil different with my race day nutrition. I finally found out i was over eating before the races, became really apparent at the 909 race. Just feeling really sluggish. So this morning i cut my food intake by half.
After a warmup ride with Robson,poor iggy and Rob? I was feeling really good. Have had some nagging injuries that have hampered me last 2 races.
So we start off and I settle into the back thrid of the group. Have to dismount on first corner due to everyone slipping. Hop back on and prep myself for the climbing. Hold my spot until someone bobbles in front of me. Then give a quick burst and pass. Its working good going up the climb pass 5 or 6 people at this stage.
Settle into a nice rhythm up top and start noticing alot of ghost shifting when ever i put the power down. urghhh
Very slowly im making ground on the rider ahead of me takes about 2 miles to reel him in. actually pass him for a sec on a lil tech climb. Lose my chain at the same time. Crap! smack my knee once again on the bars. he goes on and passes me back. I lose my chain 2 more times. have to keep it on the bigger ring on the crank i run a 2x9 setup. The bigger ring is a 42 ,ouch this is going to hurt. clear almost all of ying? except one steep climb surprisely. cruise into the finish.

10th place
average heart beat was 177 this was higher than my max last year.

Great course it was a perfect mix of climbing and tech really loved it. Kudos to wmba.
 
Cat 2 40-49

I wasn't going to pre-ride but decided to make the trip just out of safety concerns, after reading the posts about how difficult the course was. It was definitely worth it. During the pre-ride, on the first rock garden I flipped to one side, couldn't unclip and hit my head and back against two pointy rocks. That shake me and ended up walking pretty much all the technical stuff but at least I knew that I could finish the race doing that.

After seeing a bunch of people going down on that first gravel turn yesterday and during the warm up this morning I decided to try to get there amongst the first, take a really wide turn and hit the gravel hill straight. I was able to get in front and did that. That was good b/c as Wlee said a bunch of guys in our class went down like domino there.

After the first hills and rock garden I had James on my neck so I ask him he wants to pass and he does. Roland follows. At this moment I'm thinking just try to keep them in sight and who knows...

Then we get to some of the really difficult stuff and I see they didn't even try it. They go cyclo-cross style so I don't feel bad anymore about doing that. In one of the second wave of hills I was able to go past James and Roland (I think he was in the wrong gear and held up Roland).

From there I started pushing (I can't believe, I'm leading?!), thinking they will catch up to me when some more tech stuff comes up so I wanted to build a gap. I saw Roland close to me for a while but then I lost him. It was nice to ride at my own pace and have the time to walk stuff or make mistakes w/o anyone breathing on my neck.

When I got to Yin?, the last tech downhill, I'm thinking: do not crash, do not crash, and taking it easy. Made it through it and got my first win ever.

This was an amazing course, definitely the most difficult one I ever did. I have say a big thank you to Jeremy, Dave, Woody, Tayler for taking me out on Chimeney Rock the last 2-3 weeks, I think that helped me a lot today. Also to Chris26er, who led the advance ride on Allamuchy a couple of weeks ago. All those rides were a stretch for me but I think today having done that paid off.

Thank you to WMBA for putting together a nice event.
 
Awesome course, my favorite so far. Congrats to everyone who gave it go.

My day started on the line with only 10 or so of us, so I started fast but tried not to go to hard to early. I sat in second up the first couple hills till the leader made a wrong turn and I took the lead for a bit. Just kept it smooth through the climbs and let one guy take the lead and I made sure to keep him in my sights. As the lap progressed I drew closer and waited for an opportunity. As we hit the more techy stuff, I could tell he was having some trouble, and I finally overtook him on one of the boulders after a snotty climb. He stayed close for another mile or so but I kept thinking if I could just stay out of his view, I could sail away without a fight. and thats how it played out.

Once out of sight I kept the pedal down and stayed smooth. What a blast that second half of the course was, especially when theres noone pushing you and can enjoy the hell out of it. Come out of the first lap to the cheering section and let out a big yeee-hawww! The rest of the race was spent passing random riders till I get passed by Kirt and the guy he was battling with. Chat with Kirt and try to hold off the guy behind him for as long as possible. Now its just a game of trying to stay with these guys but they dust me bout half way thru. Cruise in to the finish line for my first win on a bike. Lotta fun and great to see Pearl take the challenge and crush it. Lil Rob ceases to amaze me with his performance.

Great day
 
Great job to all who finished this race. Before the race, Rob, Chris, and Kirt said it was going to be tough but I unnderestimated how tough it would be.

To preface, I have been riding a lot, both road and mountain. I've made some adjustments to the bike that have improved my comfort and speed. So I was optimistic about my performance. Unfortunately (for my race performance) I also just returned from 3 days of riding at Kingdom Trails, VT. I knew 3 days of riding the days before a race would leave a mark...suffice to say, I was right.

As usual, the race started pretty fast. Loooking back, I think I was partly responsible for that. I blew up pretty soon after the first climb and I never fully recovered. I typically ride pretty well in the technical stuff. That was not at all the case today. I was exhausted and sloppy. I rode a horrible race for the entire first lap. I realized early on that I'm closer to last than tfirst. Heading into the 2nd lap I accepted that I was not hitting the podium today and if I continued to try, I'd probably wind up in the hospital.

I slowed down and started riding the course instead of racing. It was a lot of fun. There are some great sections of that trail for a ride but they were tough at "race pace".

I learned a lot today... I spoke with some good guys and after a horrible 7 miles I went for a pretty awesome 7 mile ride. Nothing close to the finish I was looking for but I'm OK to ride another day and I had blast.

I was in a rush to get home (I came to the race directly from VT) so I didn't stick around for results. If I finished top 10 I'll be happy.

Any sport racers pre riding Jungle this week? I can't afford going into another technical race without a look.

Thanks for the read.

Jeff-
 
cat2 40-49

nice job steve336! I was really hurting there on lap 2 and thinking too much about the riders (you and another dude) who I could hear catching up and then I bobbled on that squeezed-out techy climb between a tree and some roks. I jumped off trail as fast as I could b/c you were clearing stuff and I didn't want to hold you up. I hope I didn't cause you to jam up there! My race strategy consisted of too much B/S'ing before the lineup so I didn't get a good starting position then jammed up on the climb for a dismount. Phase 2 was follow a local or 2 who cleaned the craziest stuff and didn't take a single optional route, one was so un-optional (vertical rock face, 4 feet high) that I heard it was actually off trail...oops! Phase3 of my evil plan was to stare at my HRM- RE: why won't it go below 175????????? I hoped I'd get more flow going on lap 2 but I was too fried and bashed up from lap1 (I had just passed Alex so maybe the carnage-cam caught the action??) still was able to hold my position with only 1 dude in my class passing me while I passed 5or6 riders. I'm ready for Jungle, my Yeti needs to heal a little tho...
 
pooriggy said:
I think you earned MVP & Rookie of the Year. Great job, you gots mad skillzzzz.
If that doc thing doesn't work out you can almost make a living racing your bike.
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hey poriggy congrats to you and also to Dr.rob.
and aggre with you this young man(DR.rob) really kickass and next years he'll be kickin' expert class.

good job guys.
 
By far my favorite course of the year! Thanks WMBA guys for putting this loop together. Like usual, I brought my rain insurance boots, and we were gifted another dry race.

As for my race: it felt like more of a ride than a race. :D Had a great first lap, and no stomach issues! My legs were a bit flat on lap 2, which may have been a result of allowing myself to lose focus as I slowed to pass all the emergency vehicles and an injured rider. After that, I stalled on a few ups and took a few silly bifs, and realized I needed to eat. This was a tough course to eat on because of the relentless handling. I was glad to at least have a small hydration pack! It was so much fun to navigate the course, that I was able to motivate myself for a great 3rd lap. I was expecting a 3 hours race, so I was pleased to finish in 2:48.

I found out later that Mike Kucharski was the rider down on lap 2. I hope his surgery went well and he heals up fast.
 
pixychick said:
I found out later that Mike Kucharski was the rider down on lap 2. I hope his surgery went well and he heals up fast.
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Mike is recovering at Westchester Hospital after getting the wound surgically cleaned; he also cracked his pelvis from what I understand. A big thanks to the racers, who's names I didn't get, but one MTBNYC ran back for the EMS, and another gentleman stayed with him holding the wound with his own jersey (he lost a good bit of blood). A big thanks on behalf of Mike, his wife and Team Bulldog for giving up your races to help out. If anyone knows who these two gents are, please respond or PM me; I'd like to refund their race fees for pitching in as a small thank you to them.
 
steve336 said:
10th place
average heart beat was 177 this was higher than my max last year.

Great course it was a perfect mix of climbing and tech really loved it. Kudos to wmba.
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Might gain one more spot if the score sheet gets corrected, 359 should be 12th instead of 8th.

Great job all for coming out and racing Westchester's Best! The course alone is worth the drive.
Sending healing vibes to Mike K and this guy

DSC_3354.JPG


BIG thanks to the good samaritans.
 
Congrats to everyone who raced yesterday! This was the best race course this year so far.

I'm happy with my finish as our group is crazy fast and I don't have much saddle time lately....I'll need to ride more and longer to keep up with all of you. Also racing with 1x9 setup can have it's own challenges but it will get me stronger:)

On second lap I had trouble clipping in with right pedal only to find out later that somehow one side got broken, never dismounted to check it during race, there was no time.

As for climbing....I hate climbing during race! Need to work on that...
 
Oreo said:
Might gain one more spot if the score sheet gets corrected, 359 should be 12th instead of 8th.

Great job all for coming out and racing Westchester's Best! The course alone is worth the drive.
Sending healing vibes to Mike K and this guy



BIG thanks to the good samaritans.
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I hear that was one of the martys cat 3 guys who cut his leg open. Ouch.

Nice work Chris, Rob, George, Kirt, pedals, Roger, Ryan and Iggy!
 
Congrats to all! cool pics... "if youre not bleedin youre not havin fun!" well.... unless you have to hit up the emergency room.... speedy recovery Mike. :getsome:
 
Leg injury

That leg pic going around belongs to me, thanks to everyone who helped, was riding the best race of my rookie year(at 42 woo hoo) and made my first top 10 even though I did a fair bit of walking towards the end!

Brilliant course.

Doc did a great job stapling up and fingers cross there will be no infection and muscle works correctly.
Down side is I will miss the rest of the season but will come back stronger and wiser next year, so look out.

How did I do it? Foot slipped and pedal caught the back, am I doing something wrong as its happened twice now although not so dramatic the first time around.

Good luck to the rest of you.
 
cat 2 45-49

I love this course. Felt good, had Rob in sight for much of the 1st lap, which is a very good sign. Lost my concentration for a second and went down hard. A trip to the ER was needed and now on the mend. I will be back
 
I saw that in the flesh, I think you were in such shock when you came across you didn't know what to do. We pointed to the ambulance and then you yelled "MEDIC!" hope its cleaned up!
 
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